Witness
by swimmer07
Summary: Piper and her daughter are witnesses to a horrid crime. But now the criminal is after them and they must rely on Leo for help. Can Piper and Leo set aside their personal history in time to catch the culprit? Completed!
1. Witness

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**Chapter 1: Witness**

Piper held her three-year-old daughter's hand. "Come on, Laurie," she said and tugged her daughter's hand. Laurie just looked at her mother. Piper picked Laurie up and carried her across the street.

It was dark out and Piper didn't feel really safe. She just wanted to get home and read a story to Laurie and tuck her into bed.

Piper and Laurie rounded a corner and Piper could hear arguing. The voices kept rising and rising. Piper hid in the darkened doorway of a closed store. She didn't want Laurie to see a fight.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" she asked in her small, childish voice.

"Nothing, Sunshine. Just be quiet." Piper held Laurie closer as the argument became louder.

The two men stepped into her view. Piper held Laurie to her chest so she didn't have to see. The taller of the two men, wearing black, pushed the other man. The other man pushed back and the man in black pulled out a gun.

He expended eight rounds into the man he was arguing with. The man fell to the ground, clearly dead.

Piper couldn't help but let out a little gasp. The noise had scared Laurie and she began to cry. Piper tried to quiet her before the man in black noticed, but it was too late.

He turned towards them. He must have been out of bullets because he dropped the clip out of the gun and began to load a new one in.

But sirens began to go off in the distance. Someone must have heard the gun shots and called the police.

The man took one long look at her and Laurie before sprinting in the opposite direction of the sirens.

Piper just stayed where she was, holding her daughter tight, looking at the bloody mess before her.

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Leo Wyatt held the little girl's hand. He was taking her back to her mother, who just finished up interrogation with other police officers. He had gently interrogated the child, making it fun and easy for Laurie. All she had revealed was, 'loud noises,' in her words.

Leo assumed she was talking about the gunshots. The little girl was beautiful. She had curly light brown hair pulled into pigtails. She had a fair complexion and her eyes were a brilliant shade of green. Upon closer look, you could see flecks of brown mixed with the green, but the green was so bright the brown was hardly noticed.

Leo held the girl's hand and walked towards the interrogation room where her mother was being held. Through the window he could see the back of a woman with long brown hair standing up, arms wrapped around herself.

The woman didn't turn around until Leo opened the door and walked in with her daughter. When she heard the door open, she turned around and bent down to the floor, wrapping her daughter in a tight hug.

"Mommy!" Laurie squealed with delight.

Leo watched the reunion with pleasure. He liked seeing the mother and daughter both happy.

The mother let go of Laurie just a bit. She looked up at Leo and the smile on her face faded away.

When he saw her face, he thought he would pass out.

"Piper," he said.

"Hello, Leo."

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**Author's Note: Not a lot happening yet, but I promise there will be later. I hope you all like it so far. Please review to let me know what you think.**


	2. Memories

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**Chapter 2: Memories**

They interrogated her over and over again, asking the same, repetitive questions.

"Why were you on that street?"

"I was walking home with me daughter. Where is she? Can I see her?"

"Later. You said you heard arguing so you hid, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"You saw a man in black shoot another man?"

"Yes. I already told you that."

"Please describe the shooter."

"I've already described him three times already! You had someone draw him and I recognized him! Can I see my daughter now?"

One of the officers leaned down and spoke in whispers to the officer interrogating her. The interrogating officer nodded his head. "Okay. We'll have an officer bring your daughter to you shortly."

Piper let out a sigh. "Thank God." The officers left her alone. She stood up and paced around the room, arms wrapped around herself. There seemed to be a chill in the room. But Piper didn't know if it was the room or a psychological reaction to what she saw. She saw a man be _murdered_. She saw a cold-blooded murder.

All she wanted was Laurie. She just wanted to make sure her daughter was okay. Laurie may not have seen anything, but it still had to be traumatizing for a three-and-a-half-year-old to hear gunshots and be taken by the police. She had to be terrified.

Piper heard the doorknob behind her click, and she turned around to find her daughter rushing into the room.

"Mommy!" she cried and Piper wrapped her in her arms. It was all she could do to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow.

She finally released her daughter and looked at the officer who had brought her in. She intended to thank him, but Piper's jaw dropped open when she saw the man with sandy hair and green eyes.

"Piper," the man said.

"Hello, Leo," she replied, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

Laurie, now happy to be reunited with her mother, said, "Mommy, Leo colored with me."

"Really? Did you have fun?"

Laurie shook her head. "I wanted Mommy."

"I'm with you now, Sunshine," Piper said, using her favorite nickname for Laurie. Piper picked her up and stood up and looked at Leo. "Can we leave now?"

"Yeah, sure. We may need to contact you as the investigation progresses. It would be best if you were around so we could contact you."

"Always about the job, aren't you, Leo?"

Leo winced internally at the insult, but didn't let it show. "It was nice seeing you too, Piper."

Piper just nodded and walked out of the room, into freedom, with her daughter.

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Leo tossed off his coat and threw it on the couch. He undid his tie and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. He opened it and sat on the couch, leaning his head back. Running into Piper had been… a rush. And not one he expect. He felt anger, sorrow, and happiness all at the same time. He didn't know it was possible, but clearly it was.

A little over four years had passed since he last saw her. He took another sip of beer and his mind slipped back to that night over four years ago.

_Piper held Leo's hand from across the table. "Leo, it's just not working out between us."_

_Leo looked at her. "What do you mean? It's going great."_

"_No, Leo, it's not."_

"_Why? What's wrong?"_

"_Leo, you're wonderful. You're just dedicated to your job, not a relationship."_

"_That's not true, Piper." He squeezed her hand tighter. "I love you."_

_Piper untangled her hand from his. "No, you don't. You love your job, not me."_

"_Piper, that's not true. Just give me another chance." _

"_Leo, I've already given you another chance. I've given you more than enough chances."_

"_Just one more chance, Piper, I promise I can make it work." He gave her one of those smiles she always fell for. He could tell she was considering his offer when his cell phone rang. "Hold on a minute." He answered his phone and began talking in soft tones. It was work, and they need him to come in for a break in a homicide case._

"_Okay, I'll be there in a minute." Leo hung up his cell phone._

"_Piper…" he said, turning back to her. _

_But she was gone._

Leo had gone to work and arrived home late. He walked in the door and immediately knew something was not right. The apartment seemed…empty. Leo thought it was because Piper wasn't there for a change, but as he looked around, he noticed the apartment actually was emptier. All of Piper's things were gone.

He wondered through all of the rooms, not really believing all of her things were gone. He wasn't sure what to believe. She had tried to break up with him before, but he always managed to talk her out of it. Even though she had sounded dead serious at dinner, he still expected her to be here when he came home.

But instead of finding Piper, he found a note in her handwriting lying on his pillow.

_Leo,_

_You are a wonderful person, but not the person for me. Your passion is your work, not me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this to your face, but I wasn't sure when you would get home. I know you think you love me, but you don't. You'll find someone right for you one day, it's just not me. I hope we can stay friends, but if you don't want to, I understand._

_Love, _

_Piper_

Leo still had the note. _How pathetic is that,_ he asked himself.

_Pathetic enough to have another beer_, he told himself, getting off the couch to get another one.

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Laurie had her arms hooked around Piper's neck, fast asleep. Piper carried her up the front stairs to the manor, opened the door, and carried Laurie up to her room.

Two months ago, the lease on her apartment had expired, and Prue, her older sister, insisted she move into the manor instead of renewing the lease. Prue and her husband, Andy, and inspector of the San Francisco Police Department, were in Denver, Colorado, visiting his parents. They were currently looking for a small house of their own in the San Francisco area.

When their grandmother, lovingly referred to as Grams, died two years ago, she left the house entrusted to Piper, Prue, and their youngest sister, Phoebe. Phoebe was living in New York and Prue wanted a smaller house. That left the manor to Piper, who really didn't need a house that big. She didn't feel safe in a large house by herself and her daughter, but it was the house she grew up in a child and loved it here. So for now she was living in the manor.

She laid Laurie down on the bed with the pink comforter decorated with large, bright flowers.

She looked at her sleeping daughter's face and traced her features with her eyes. He strong chin, full lips, small nose. Beneath her close eyelids were bright green eyes with flecks of brown that Piper knew so well. Her light brown hair was a few shades darker than her fathers, but much lighter than Piper's own dark brown hair.

Piper went into her own room and changed into pajamas. She laid in bed, but sleep didn't come. The horror of the murder she witnessed was replaying in her mind. She couldn't stop seeing the blood, the dark crimson blood, slowly seeping down the sidewalk.

And Leo's face. She couldn't stop seeing Leo's face. She hadn't seen him in over four years, but it all came rushing back as if it were yesterday.

Piper had loved him, she really did. But he paid more attention to his job than her. She wasn't being self-centered or anything. After the first few months of dating, Leo routinely missed dates because he had to go to work. After she had moved in with him, she had barely seen him. Being a cop seemed to be a twenty-six hour a day job, eight days a week.

But somewhere along the line, Piper had fallen in love with him. Maybe it had been during one of those few nights she saw him. But after a while, she grew tired of it. She wanted to be with someone she saw more than three times a week. But every time she tried to break it off, he somehow convinced her to stay. And she listened. But after a year and a half of it, Piper decided enough was enough.

Being out to dinner with him on one of those rare occasions, Piper had tried to let him down easy. It hurt her to do that to him, but it had to be done. He almost convinced her into staying, but when he answered his cell phone during dinner, she realized he would never change. It would always be like this, her waiting for him to come home.

She left the restaurant before he could say another word. At the exit, she turned back around and looked at the table. Leo was still on his cell phone. He hadn't even realized she was gone.

There were tears in her eyes as she packed her stuff out of his apartment. She knew he wouldn't be home soon, so she left him a note. Tears streamed out of her eyes and on to the paper as she wrote the note.

But that had been over four years ago. Piper turned off the light and tried to sleep. _I'm over him_, she told herself.

But why did his face haunt her dreams?


	3. Intruder of the Night

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**Chapter 3: Intruder of the Night**

"Mommy! Mommy!" Piper heard Laurie's cry.

Piper quickly untangled herself from the covers of the bed. Laurie never cried out unless something was really wrong.

She sprinted to Laurie's room. She threw open the door and saw a man in black grabbing Laurie by the arm. Laurie was sobbing openly, calling for her mommy.

Piper reacted quickly. She grabbed the lamp from the dresser by the door. She swung it hard and hit the man in black hard on the back of the head. He staggered and let go of Laurie.

Piper didn't bother to see how bad she had injured the man. She just grabbed her daughter's hand and ran. Laurie stumbled going down the stairs, so Piper picked her up and ran down the stairs carrying her.

She flew down the stairs and out the front door, only pausing long enough to grab her car keys. She ran out to her SUV and hopped in the driver's seat. She didn't even take the time to put Laurie in the passenger seat. She sat on her lap as Piper sped off down the street.

Piper didn't stop until she was a good two or three miles away from the house. She pulled off to the side of the road and parked the car. She placed Laurie into her car seat in the back of the SUV.

"Everything's fine, Sunshine," she said to her as she wiped her tear stained face.

"Where's the bad man?" Laurie asked, fear in her young voice.

Piper's heart twisted. "He's not coming back. I promise."

Laurie just nodded her head and Piper got into the driver's seat. She put the SUV in drive and drove to the police station. Once there, she asked to see Inspector Wyatt.

But to her surprise, she was told he had gone home for the night. Piper couldn't believe it. That had to be a first. Leo Wyatt, actually home?

Piper was instead seen by another officer that had been present at her questioning, Inspector Darryl Morris. He was a darker skinned man, and he listened patiently as she explained what happened at the manor.

He took immediate action. He called for a unit to search the manor for the mystery man and took Piper and Laurie to a room in the back of the station house where they would be safe.

As Piper and Laurie waited for news of the mystery man to be reported, someone must have called Leo because he showed up, looking hassled. Piper was actually relieved her was ere. Maybe he could make some sense of the situation. None of the inspectors were tell her anything. They just told her to sit tight, be patient. But she was done being patient. Nobody tries to attack her daughter and gets away with it.

Leo walked into the room. "Piper, are you and Laurie all right?"

"Yes. Leo, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "I just got here."

Piper gave him the cliff notes version of the attack. After she was done, he crouched down and looked at Laurie who was sitting in Piper's lap. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Laurie just nodded her head.

"Did the man hurt you?"

She shook her head.

Leo looked questioningly at Piper. "Why isn't she talking?"

Piper shrugged her shoulders. "She hasn't said a word to me since we were in the car."

Leo looked closer at Laurie. The little girl was looking at him, but it seemed as if she didn't see him. Her pupils were dilated and her skin was pale. "I think she's in shock."

"What?" Piper asked, her voice filled with worry. "What do you mean?"

Leo didn't answer her. Instead, he left the room. After talking to an officer outside of the doorway, he came back with a glass of water. He handed it to Piper. "Here. Have her drink it. A doctor is going to come look at her in a moment."

Piper held the glass to Laurie. She just looked past her mother. It took some cajoling from Piper for her to finally drink the water.

Piper looked at Leo with fear in her eyes. "Will she be alright?"

"I'm sure she will be. There's the doctor."

A dark haired man, wearing a white lab coat, walked through the door. Piper immediately liked him. He had a nice smile on his face and he talked nicely to Laurie, carefully asking her questions, but not bombarding her.

He looked at her pupils, checked her pulse, blood pressure, and listened to her breathing. Piper held her hand the whole time.

When he was done, he stood up. "She's in shock." Seeing Piper's worried expression, he said, "Sometimes when children see something so traumatic their bodies don't know how to deal with it. They become withdrawn and unresponsive. But it's treatable, don't worry. I'm going to give her a mild sedative, one safe for young children. My best suggestion would be to let her sleep and make her feel comfortable. Try to get her to interact when she wakes up."

"Thank you, doctor," Piper said and he left. Then she turned to Leo. "Do you have anywhere she could sleep?"

"Yeah. Let's take her into the break room."

Before Piper could protest, he gently lifted Laurie and took her to the break room where he laid her on the couch. Piper sat on the edge of the couch, smoothing Laurie's hair.

"Where are we going to stay?" she asked Leo, voicing the question that had been on her mind for quite some time. "We can't go back to the manor."

"I know. We have guys checking the house to see if the guy is still there."

"And if he's not? I don't want to go back home."

"Don't worry. We have guys trying to figure out what to do with you."

"You make it sound so enjoyable."

"Sorry," he said.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I know you're only doing your job. It's just frustrating. I don't know what to do. I hate being out of control."

"I know. We'll-" there was a knock on the door, interrupting him. "Come in," he said.

Darryl Morris walked into the room. "Wyatt, can I have a word with you?"

Feeling like a child about to be scolded, Leo sheepishly followed him out of the room.

"What do you think you're doing, Wyatt?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You took a witness out of the interrogation room, that's what. Civilians are not allowed in the break room either. What's gotten into you?"

"The little girl needed a place to lie down. She's in shock and the doctor just gave her a sleeping pill. Why are you being so strict?"

Morris grabbed his arm and looked around. He lowered his voice and whispered, "We went to the house and we found the lamp Halliwell claimed to hit him with. Apparently she did, because we found the lamp in pieces. But we found blood on one of the pieces. I put a rush on it and the results just came back."

He pushed the files under Leo's nose. He opened it and took a look. Scott McGunther. "I don't get it. The name sounds vaguely familiar."

"Turn the page."

Leo did as he was told. The next page was a criminal report. Leo's jaw dropped open when he saw it. Scott McGunther. Now he remembered why the name sounded so familiar. McGunther had been charged with three counts of felony rape and murder, but had gotten off on a technicality. "It looks as if Mr. McGunther has resurfaced."

Morris looked dead at him. "And I think he wants Ms. Halliwell."


	4. Protection

**To anybody reading my stories, I highly recommend you read any stories by kk24197 and Holly Shadow. I Love you're stories!**

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**Chapter 4: Protection**

An hour later, Leo, Darryl Morris, another officer, and Piper, with Laurie asleep in her arms, sat in the interrogation room.

"What do you mean, the witness protection program?" Piper asked.

"It's program specifically designed for witnesses to crimes or people in trouble that need to be kept safe. Basically, they're given a new life. A new home, a new name, a new job…"

"No. I don't want to do that." She liked her job. Being owner of her own nightclub, P3, was the best thing. "I don't want to go into the protection program. I want to go home."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. McGunther is still out there. He'll come back for you and you're little girl."

Piper hugged Laurie closer to her. "There's no other choice?" She looked at Leo as she asked the question.

His look lingered on her face before answering. "It's the safest thing for you and Laurie. We can only assume the man that broke into your house was the man who committed the murder you witnessed. All we need in confirmation and we can get you into the witness protection program."

Another officer walked into the room. "No such luck, I'm afraid. The government refused them. The case isn't high profile enough."

The officers all looked at each other. "So what do we do now?"

All we silent before someone suggested, "Live-in protection?" All the officers nodded in consent.

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked.

"Live-in protection," Leo explained. "It kind of makes you a ward of the city. You'll live in a house with 24/7 police protection. An officer will even live in the house."

Piper looked at them as if they were kidding. "You're joking, right?"

"No, we're dead serious."

Piper nodded her head. "If you think it's best…"

She didn't even finish her sentence before the officers jumped into action. All but Leo left the room to do various actions.

Leo looked down at her and the sleeping Laurie. "It's for the best."

"I hope so."

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Piper waited inside the nondescript SUV while police officers checked the inside of the house. _This is ridiculous_, she thought. The SUV was parked outside of a two-story gray house.

The officers came out of the house and motioned for Piper to come inside. She opened the door and stepped out side of the vehicle. She pulled Laurie out from the car and held her in her arms. Her eyes were slightly open, but not enough to be totally awake.

"Mommy?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"I'm here, sunshine. We're home."

Laurie just laid her head back down on her mother's shoulder. Piper followed the officer into the house. On the way through, the officer gave her the grand tour.

"To the right is the study and to the left the dinning room." He showed them past the kitchen and up the stairs. Piper had the first room on the left side of the hall and Laurie had the room across from Piper. Piper's room connected to the bathroom, which connected to another room on the other side. Piper assumed that was the room the police officer would be staying in.

"Who's the officer staying here?"

"Me," said a voice behind her.

Piper turned to see Leo standing behind her.

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**Author's Note: For those of you who may be wondering, I have no clue if there is such a thing as live-in protection. Do I care? Not really. I just used it for a Piper/Leo situation. So if you're confused about what's going on, here it is. Piper was a witness to a murder, and the guy later broke into her house. She can't go into the witness protection program because her case isn't important enough. So instead she is going to live in a house under police protection 24/7. Leo is going to live in the house with her… wonder where that will lead. ;) :o) It's a clown!**


	5. Close Quarters

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**Chapter 5: Close Quarters**

Piper laid Laurie down on her bed. She pulled the covers up to the little girl's chine. She gently kissed her forehead and snuck out of the room.

When she went downstairs, she bumped into Leo. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay. How's Laurie?"

"Tired. Confused. But so am I."

"Why don't you go lay down?"

"I won't fall asleep."

"Insomnia?"

"No. Every time I close my eyes I see that guy, Scott McGunther, shoot that man. Why would he do that? Why would any human kill another like that?"

"Human beings are weird. They do the strangest things for the weirdest reasons."

Piper leaned her head back on the couch. She was exhausted, too tired to sleep. The murder kept replaying over and over again in her head. She wondered if she would ever be able to close her eyes and not see all the blood, red blood, spilling from the man's body.

And Leo. Being near him sent memories rushing back. Good memories and not so good memories. But most of all, it was his green eyes. Those are what she remembered the most.

She must have dozed because Leo was shaking her wake. "Come on, Piper. Wake up. You need to go to bed."

Piper groggily stood up and headed up the stairs. She didn't even change into her pajamas. She just laid on top of the covers and fell into blissful sleep.

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Leo watched as Piper began to fall asleep on the couch. She was beautiful. Her dark brown hair and deep eyes. Leo remembered when they were dating. He loved coming home from work to find her there, to hold her, to be held by her.

She climbed the stairs and he followed her. Piper just laid on the bed, fully clothed. Leo went through out the house, checking locks and windows to make sure the house was secure. Afterwards, he climbed back up the stairs. On the way to his room he passed Piper's room. She was still lying on top of the covers.

Not wanting her to get cold, he gently maneuvered her body until he was able to get the covers over her body. With one last look at her, he left the room and went into his own. He got in bed and began to drift off to sleep, wondering what this new living arrangement would bring him.

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When Piper awoke in the morning, she felt a small form pressed against her. She looked and saw Laurie, sucking her thumb, lying next to her. Golden sunlight poured through the window, lighting up the room. The room made Laurie's skin glow and Piper was reminded of how much Laurie looked like her father.

She noiselessly snuck out of bed and went downstairs. Leo was already up and eating breakfast as he read the newspaper.

"You're up early," he commented.

Piper didn't reply. She just reached into the cabinet and grabbed a box of cereal. She poured herself a bowl and sat down at the table next to Leo. On the table top was a manila folder.

"What's that?" she asked with a mouthful of cornflakes.

Leo looked in the direction she indicated with her spoon. "That? It's the file on Scott McGunther. You can read it if you like."

Piper picked up the file and looked at it.

Name: Scott McGunther

DOB: September 27, 1974

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: dark blonde

Eyes: green

It gave a detailed account of the rapes and murders he was accused of committing. Piper shuddered, thinking of what that man could do to Laurie if he got his hands on her.

Unable to read the file any longer, Piper pushed it aside. "Leo, how longer are we going to be here?"

Leo was silent for a moment before answering, "Probably until they catch the guy."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No."

"You mean I won't be able to see my sisters until this guy is caught?"

"That's right."

Piper put her head on the table. "This sucks."

"You're not kidding."

"You're allowed to leave if another officer comes in your place. Laurie and I can't leave." She and Laurie were not allowed to leave the house unless granted permission by a commanding officer and a police escort.

Life sucked just about now. People on house arrest had more freedom than she did.

"They'll catch him soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I am."

"That is not even remotely comforting."

"Oh, thanks," he said sarcastically.

Piper held her breath. She didn't want to argue with him. Living in close quarters like this, she didn't want to start any tension. She looked at him and was instantly brought back to time when they were dating. With a sigh she turned back to her breakfast, but she could only concentrate on how close Leo was.


	6. Tension Snaps

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**Chapter 6: Tension Snaps**

It continued like this for the next few weeks. Tension grew between Piper and Leo. But at the same time, they felt a longing for each other that they thought had disappeared when they were dating.

One night, the dam broke.

Piper and Leo were screaming at each other over some little, insignificant things. "Damn it, Leo! I don't care!"

"Well maybe you should!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"Don't you yell at _me_!"

"Leo Wyatt, if you don't-"

To Piper's surprise, Leo pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

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Leo hated arguing with Piper. He couldn't even remember why they were yelling at each other. He watched her full, luscious lips as they yelled at him. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

They broke apart and both were breathing heavily. "That was-"

Leo didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before Piper was kissing him again. With a laugh, Piper led him up the stairs and soon they were both standing outside of her bedroom, kissing.

"Mommy?" a little voice asked. Leo blushed horribly as he a Piper pulled apart. Laurie stood in the doorway of her room, holding a stuffed bunny rabbit.

"Yes, Laurie?"

"Why were you and Leo yelling?"

Piper bent down and put her hands on Laurie's arms. "Do you remember who Mommy and Aunt Prue and Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Andy would yell at each other when they got mad?"

Laurie nodded her head.

"It was kind of like that. Mommy and Leo were mad, but now we're not."

"Were you mad at me?"

"Oh no, sunshine. Not at you."

"No, honey," Leo said, reassuring her. "It wasn't you."

Laurie, looking content, went back into her room. Leo watched as Piper tucked Laurie in and talked to her. Watching the two interact made his body flush with warmth. Piper was such a good mother.

Piper gently closed the door and walked to Leo. "Sorry about that."

"No problem. You're a good mother."

"Thanks," she said.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Neither were sure who initiated the kiss, but neither argued. "Well, I guess we should get to bed," Leo said when they broke apart.

Piper nodded. Leo was halfway down the hallway when Piper called out to him. "I don't want to be alone."

Leo turned around and walked back to her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Leo began kissing her and opened the door to her room. They both laid on the bed, kissing and laughing. Eventually, they stopped and Piper rested her head on Leo's chest.

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"When we were dating, did you do things like this?"

"Like what?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"This live-in protection thing?"

"Sometimes. But I usually switched off with other officers so I could go home. To you."

Piper rolled off his chest and laid on her back. Leo rested himself on his elbow so he was slightly above her. He looked into her brown eyes as she looked into his green eyes. "I really did love you."

'Leo…" she groaned and closed her eyes.

"No, Piper. It's true. I really did love you."

"Leo, I loved you to. But you were involved with your job."

"Piper…"

"No, Leo. You were. But now I see how important your job is. I feel like an idiot for not seeing it."

"Piper, you're not an idiot. I was involved with my job. Maybe too much. There are plenty of officers who have families and hold their jobs. Look at Darryl. He has a wife and a three-year-old son."

"But still, I could have tried to be a little more understanding."

"Piper, the past is the past. There's nothing we can do to change it." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "But what I want to know is, are you will to give me another chance?"

Piper looked at him with questioning eyes. Then she smiled. "I think I'm willing."

Piper kissed him and she was eventually lying on his chest again. As she kissed him, she never wondered if she was making the right choice. Being with Leo felt so right. It felt like she hadn't been her whole self when she was away from him. Now, lying in his arms, she felt complete.


	7. Avoiding the Issue

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**Chapter 7: Avoiding the Issue**

The next morning, Piper woke up, alone. The first thing she realized was that Leo was not in the bed next to her. Neither was Laurie, for that matter. Every night they had been in this house, Laurie had come and slept in her mother's bed. But not this night.

Piper went across the hall to check on Laurie. She was fast asleep in her bed, clinging to ragged stuffed bunny rabbit.

Feeling the urge to pee, Piper went to the bathroom and opened the door. What she saw brought a blush to her cheeks.

Leo standing in the bathroom, stark naked.

She hurriedly closed the door. "I am so sorry," she said sheepishly. How did she miss the sounds of the shower running?

Leo opened the door, now wearing a towel. "It's not anything you haven't seen before."

Piper playfully slapped his arm. "Ha-ha."

"Did you need to use the bathroom?"

"Not anymore."

Leo laughed and ran his fingers through his wet hair. They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Piper placed one hand on the side of her forehead, shielding his towel-clad body from view. "I think I'm going to go get dressed," he said.

"Good idea."

He walked away and Piper was free to use the bathroom. She didn't know why she was being so shy with him. Like he said, it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. When they were dating, she had walked in on him in the bathroom many times. Hell, they _showered_ together.

Maybe it was because she wasn't sure where they stood anymore. She wasn't sure what she agreed to last night when she agreed to give her and Leo another chance. There had been no sex last night, which was fine with her. She wanted to know where they stood before she slept with him.

She finished using the bathroom and washed her hands. She walked to Laurie's room where the girl was now awake and sitting on top of her bed.

"Hello, Mommy."

"Good morning, Sunshine. Did you sleep well?"

"I wasn't scared anymore,"

"Well that's good. Why were you scared?"

"The bad man. I was scared he would come back. But you and Leo won't let him."

"That's right," Piper said with enthusiasm. "Leo and I won't let the bad man get you."

Piper held her hand and walked Laurie down to the kitchen. "What about my daddy?" Laurie asked.

Piper immediately tensed, but didn't let Laurie see it. Every so often Laurie asked questions about her father. Not often, but once and a while. "What about your daddy?"

"Would he let the bad man get me?"

"No, Sunshine. He wouldn't let the bad man get you."

"Where is Daddy?"

"Do you want cereal or eggs for breakfast?"

"Eggs!"

Piper turned to go to the fridge to get the eggs, but she bumped into Leo. She gave a small scream of surprise. "Leo, you scared me!"

Laurie giggled. "Leo scared Mommy. Leo scared Mommy," she said in a sing-songy voice.

Piper smiled at her. "Someone's in a good mood."

"Do you always avoid the subject like that?" he asked her as she began to make eggs.

"What are you talking about?"

Leo looked at Laurie, who was coloring contently in a coloring book on the kitchen table. "Laurie's father. Do you always avoid the topic?"

"Yes."

"You can't forever. When she gets older, she going to wonder and ask questions you can't avoid."

"I'm going to tell her when she's old enough to understand."

"How old would that be?"

"Thirty or forty."

Leo could hear the teasing in her voice. "Very funny. I'm just saying you have to tell her sometime."

"I will. Now will you hand me that egg?"

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Later that night, after Piper had played dolls with Laurie and put her to bed, she went down stairs and smelled a delicious aroma floating through the air.

"Mmm. Something smells good." She went to the kitchen where Leo stood by the over.

"It should," he said, slipping his arms around her waist. "I'm making roast chicken."

"Sounds delicious. I haven't had anything like that in a long time."

"Really? You used to love cooking."

"I still do. But I also have a three-year-old. My grocery list usually consists of macaroni and cheese and chicken noodle soup rather than the more refined foods."

"Well, then. You are going to sit at the table and wait for me to serve you one of the best meals you've had in three years."

With a smile, Piper did as she was told. Dinner was soon served and Leo served her before sitting down himself. They talked about their past and fed each other, but dinner was half way over before Piper brought up what was really on her mind.

"Leo, where do we stand?"

Leo smiled the last bit of his food before answering. "I'm not quite sure."

Piper nodded. "That's what I thought."

"But I do know what I _want_ us to be."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I want what we had before. Only better. Less work, more communication. Admit it. What we had before was good."

"Yes it was."

"Don't you want that back?"

"Yes, I do."

"I'm willing to make it work. How about you?"

"Of course I am."

"Okay then. It's settled. We're going to try to make it work."

After they finished dinner and were heading upstairs, Piper suggested, "Let's take a bath."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep."

Piper led him to the bathroom where she drew the bathwater. "You really are serious."

"I told you I was."

Later, as they laid in the tub among the numerous bubbles from the bubble bath, Leo asked, "How did you come up with this idea?"

"I thought of it when I was giving Laurie a bath earlier. I though it would be relaxing."

"You were right," he said, his hands roaming over her bare stomach. He took a handful of bubbles and put them on her face.

"Leo!" she squealed.

Later, after they had showered, taking turned soaping each other's bodies, they went into Leo's room. Neither Piper nor Leo had ever felt anything this exhilarating before. Leo began kissing her, the kiss becoming more intense with every passing second. Piper knew she was ready. She was ready to accept Leo like she did four years ago.

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Scott McGunther kept an eye on the house from across the street. It had been amazingly easy to find out where the woman was being kept.

As he paced back and forth in the living room of the house across the street from where Piper was staying, he sorely rubbed the back of his head. Stupid bitch had hit him on the head with a lamp.

As much as it made him mad, it also thrilled him. He loved it when women fought back.

He watched the cops that sat in black SUV near the house Piper was in. Every so often, one of the cops would get out and do a quick surveillance check around the house. He tried to be discrete, but he knew what they were doing. They were looking for any sight of him. He laughed at the thought. Here he was, watching them as they looked for him.

Soon, his plan would be in action. Police security would lax and he would make his move on the little girl. He knew the little girl would be his leverage to get Piper alone, away from the cop he knew was living in the house with her. He really had no interest in the little one. It was her mother, Piper, that he wanted. He may be a rapist and a murderer, but he wasn't a pedophile. Even he looked upon child rapists with disgust.

He stepped away from the window and went into his bedroom where his dreams were haunted by Piper.

**Author's Note: **Ha Ha! Fooled you. They didn't sleep together last chapter! It wasn't until this chapter! Fooled you. Anyway, I hope you liked, sorry it took me a while to update, internet problems :( I am going to publish a new Piper/Leo story soon, call 'College Days'. Yes, according to the title, is about Piper and Leo in college. But there is a twist, I assure you. A big twist.


	8. Plan In Action

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**Chapter 8: Plan in Action**

Over the next two months, Piper realized she was falling for Leo all over again. She loved being near him, being held by him.

And Laurie loved him too. Leo treated Laurie like a normal person. He didn't talk down to her just because she was three. He gave her the same respect as he would to an adult.

Piper loved to watch the two interact. It warmed her heart to know Leo genuinely liked Laurie. Laurie acted like a different person around Leo. Normally, Laurie was a cautious child. She wasn't a recluse, but she wasn't so outgoing as to where she would talk to strangers. But Laurie was surprising outgoing with Leo. She would tell him things and show him things that she usually only told Piper. Piper wasn't even sure if Laurie was a close to Prue and Phoebe as she was to Leo.

When Piper woke up that morning, she stretched luxuriously in bed. Leo, lying beside her, stirred and woke up. "Hey there," she said to him.

Leo didn't reply. He just put one arm around Piper and moaned, "Sleep…"

Piper laughed and untangled herself from the bed and Leo. When she walked out of the room, Leo was snoring.

Piper went into Laurie's room where the little girl was already up and playing with her dolls.

"Hello, Mommy," she said, giving Piper a hug around her knees.

"Good morning, Sunshine. Do you want some breakfast?"

"Is Leo going to eat with us?"

"He's still sleeping."

"Oh. Can we wait for him?"

Piper was surprised, but happy, by her request. "Sure, if you want to."

"No need to," Leo said from behind her. "I'm up now."

"Leo!" Laurie squealed and hugged him around his knees.

"Hey here, Sunshine. Why don't we get some breakfast?" he said with a yawn.

"Some one's tired," Piper joked.

"You kept me up all night," he said with a smile.

"_I_ did? You didn't exactly make it easy to fall asleep either."

Laurie, walking down the stairs in front of them said, "You two are silly.

"_We're _silly? Well you're silly to," Leo said and he began to tickle her. Laurie squealed with delight and began laughing uncontrollably. Piper watched the two, laughing.

Leo stopped tickling Laurie and whispered something to her that Piper couldn't hear. Before she knew it, both Leo and Laurie were tickling her. It was a family moment, one of many to come, Piper hoped.

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Darkness was falling and Scott McGunther knew it was time to put his plan in action. Dressed in black, he headed out of the house and towards the black SUV. He clutched his side, pretending to be in pain.

"Help," he cried as he knocked on the glass.

The officer rolled down the window. "Sir, are you alright?"

McGunther stood up. "I'm fine. But you're not." He pulled out a tranquilizer gun and shot both of them. They were both knocked out before they could call for help. He wasn't going to kill the cops. He wasn't that stupid. The whole police force would be after him if he did.

He snuck around to the back of the house. From there he entered the house and slowly climbed up the stairs, careful to make sure they made no noises underneath his weight.

He kept near the wall in the darkened hallway. He tried the first door to his left and found it empty. He turned to his right an opened the door to his right. Jackpot. Laurie was fast asleep in her bed. He bent over the little girl and put a hand over her mouth.

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Piper was fast asleep when a loud thump woke her up. She sat up in bed and thought he heard other noises.

"Did you hear that?" Piper asked Leo, who was now sitting up beside her.

"Yeah." There was another noise. "That sounded like the back door. I think someone is trying to break in." He began rummaging in the draw of the nightstand by the bed. In the darkness, Piper could see the faint outline of a gun. "Go check on Laurie. Stay in her room and lock the door until I come back."

Piper just nodded and followed Leo out of the room. As he went down the stairs, Piper went into Laurie's room. The first thing Piper saw was Laurie's empty bed. Thinking Laurie may have gotten scared and gone into Piper's room, Piper looked for her there. But Laurie was nowhere to be seen.

Her heart pounding, Piper went back into Laurie's room. She looked closer at the bed and saw what she had missed before. A folded white piece of paper. Piper opened it and her heart stopped.

_NO cops, NO authorities if you want to see your daughter ALIVE again._ _Wait until I call._

That was it. Nothing more. Piper dropped the note and ran into the hallway, screaming. The paper fluttered harmlessly to the floor.

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Leo had his gun drawn, holding it defensively in front of him. He slowly went down the stairs, not wanting to give the intruder any indication he was after him.

Leo just hoped Piper followed his advice and stayed in Laurie's room. Piper was headstrong and Leo knew she would come down here if she thought he was in danger.

Leo stepped on something soft. He looked at the ground and saw Laurie's stuffed bunny rabbit. He didn't know what it was doing down here. Piper had given it to Laurie when she put her to bed.

Leo picked up the stuffed animal and continued on his way. He was almost to the kitchen when he heard Piper's blood-curdling scream. He tore up the stairs, not caring if he made any noise now.

When he got to Piper, she was saying incoherent things. It wasn't until he read the piece of paper on the floor that he understood what was going on.

Someone had kidnapped Laurie. The noises they heard must have been the kidnapper _escaping_ not entering the house.

Leo left the hysterical Piper and ran outside of the house to the black SUV. He was about to knock on the window when he saw the two officers slumped over. He checked their pulses and saw that they were alive. They had been shot with tranquilizer darts, nothing more.

Leo ran back to the house and called his superior. Minutes later, he heard sirens.

He climbed up the stairs to where Piper was still standing where he left her. Her hysteria had seemed to pass, but now she was sobbing. Leo pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.

"Why Laurie? Why her? She didn't do anything!"

There was no reply Leo could offer. He just held her and let her cry.

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**Author's Note: I wonder who took Laurie? Thanks for all your reviews, you guys have been great.**

**By the way, I now have a website for Charmed. I hope you all will join! **

**http:3charmedsisters. **


	9. Confronting the Issue

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**Chapter 9: Confronting the Issue**

Piper was being questioned by the police. She sat on the couch, her head in her hands. Laurie was missing. Someone had taken her. How did they expect her to sit here and answer their questions when they should be out looking for her daughter?

"What about Laurie's father?"

"What about her father?" Piper asked, her stomach clenching.

"Could he have taken her?"

"No. That's not possible."

"Why? Is he dead?"

"No, he's not dead. He just wouldn't have taken her."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know him! Why are you asking questions about her father? You should be out looking for Scott McGunther, the man who broke into my house and the man who took my daughter! This has nothing to do with Laurie's father!"

"Miss Halliwell, we are following protocol. It's our job to follow every lead."

"Laurie's father is not a lead! Scott McGunther is your lead!"

Leo, who had been listening to the arguing stepped in. "Officer, could I have a word with Miss Halliwell?"

The officer nodded in consent and Leo led Piper upstairs to his room. He shut the door and faced her. He thought she looked so broken, sitting on the bed, her head in her hands, slowly rocking her body.

"Piper, the officers are only trying to do their job."

"I know. I'm sorry I yelled. It's just…"

"Just what, Piper? Why don't you ever talk about Laurie's dad?"

"It's a touchy subject."

"I've noticed. So why don't you think he could have taken Laurie?"

There was a long pause before Piper finally looked up at him. "Because you didn't kidnap her."

Leo froze. _What did she just say_? "What do you mean?"

"You're her father," she said, not looking at him.

Leo sat down heavily on the bed. "Oh my God…" He was at a loss for words.

"Leo, I…" she reached out to touch him, but he moved away from her. Piper began to cry now, afraid of Leo's reaction. But most of all, she cried for Laurie. Laurie wasn't here to meet her daddy. But if, no _when_, they got Laurie back, Piper was afraid Leo wouldn't want anything to do with her now.

Leo was doing the math in his head. "No, Piper. It's not possible. I can't be Laurie's father."

"You are."

"No, I'm not. We dated _four_ years ago. Laurie is _three_."

Piper let out a bitter laugh. "Leo, there is a nine month waiting period before the baby is actually born."

"Oh," Leo said, finally grasping the concept. "So Laurie is my, our, daughter?"

"Yeah."

Now Leo was getting mad. Why didn't Piper tell him? Damn it, he had a right to know. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded angrily.

"Because I didn't know!" Piper yelled back, trying to hold back tears. "I didn't find out until after we broke up."

"You still should have told me."

"I'm not one of those girls who breaks up with a guy and then goes running back to him when she's in trouble."

"That's one of the things I love about you," he told her, his temporary anger gone. He was having trouble grasping the fact that Laurie was his daughter. Leo looked at Piper and knew it was true. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Laurie looked like him now that he put some thought into it. Her eyes were almost the same green color as his.

The immensity of this was beginning to sink in. Laurie, _his_ daughter was missing.

He wrapped his arms around Piper and she clung to him. "We're going to find her, I promise."

"Leo, I can't lose her. I can't live with out her."

"I know. Neither can I." And it was true. He couldn't live without seeing his daughter again, tears springing to his eyes.

Once they were both calm enough to go back down stairs, Piper tightly grasped his hand as they descended the stairs in the bustle of activity to find Laurie. Leo sat Piper down on the couch and went to talk to one of the investigators leading the search.

Piper sat on the couch, trying to control her breathing. In her hand was the stuffed rabbit Laurie loved so much. It was ragged and missing an eye, but it was Laurie's favorite toy. She never slept with out it.

Piper turned the toy over in her hands. It reminded her so much of Laurie that it hurt. Piper was crying mow, terrified that she would never see her daughter again.

And then the phone rang.

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**Author's Note: Like none of you saw that coming! I want to thank all of you for your reviews; you've all been great! Most of you reviewed saying you thought Leo was Laurie's father and you were right! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	10. Piper's Determination

**I have a new story now, called "College Days'. Yes, it is a Piper/Leo story, I hope you all read it!**

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**Chapter 10: Piper's Determination **

"Hello, Piper," a man's voice said.

"Who is this?" she demanded. She looked at the officers on the other side of the room and he gave her a thumps-up. They were recording the phone call and racking where the call came from. The idea was to keep him on the phone for two minutes until they could locate his position. They had rehearsed this before. She was to ask as may questions as possible to keep him on the phone.

"You know who this is. I have someone who wants to talk to you."

The next thing Piper heard made her heart clench. "Mommy!" Laurie sobbed in to the phone.

"Laurie! Where are you? Are you..."

But McGunther must have taken the phone away from her since Piper could no longer hear her daughter's anguished sobs.

"Don't worry. She's fine," McGunther's easy-going voice said.

"Don't you dare hurt her."

"I won't have a reason to if you follow my directions. I have no interest in your daughter. You're the one I want. I'll meet you corner of Fifth and Broadway at three forty-five in the morning. No cops. No boyfriend. Nobody but you." He hung up.

"Damn," the officer said. "Only a minute and a half. Not enough to get an exact location."

"But did you find a possible area?"

"Yes. I've squared it down to a forty mile radius." He pulled up the map that they were trying to locate him at. "He's somewhere south of Bellwood and North of Lincoln Avenue."

"Alright, people," the lead investigator, Proctor, called out. "This is what needs to be done. Nigel, you take the tape of the phone call back to the lab and break it down. I want to hear every track. Weiss and Vaughn, look up all the property McGunther owns. He may have some property in this area. Look for any land his known associates own too. Bristow, I want a list of all abandoned building in the area. Everyone else, start planning to catch this guy."

Proctor walked over to Piper and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're going to find her, I promise."

Leo pulled Proctor aside. "You're not really going to let her meet McGunther, are you?"

"Of course not. That would be signing her death certificate. The best thing I can come up with is to find one of the officers that looks like her and have her take Piper's place."

"No one on the force looks like Piper," Leo commented. "The closest one is Sandy, but she's fifty pounds heavier and a foot taller than Piper."

"Good point. I guess we'll tail him after he realizes Piper isn't going to show. Hopefully, he'll lead us back to the kid."

"Yeah, hopefully," Leo echoed emptily.

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Piper couldn't believe they weren't going to let her meet McGunther. It was her daughter's _life_ they were gambling with. She was planned on doing whatever it took to get Laurie back safely.

But most of all, she couldn't believe Leo agreed with them. It was his daughter too. How could he side with the police on this?

"I can't believe you, Leo!" she yelled at him later. "Don't you want to get you're daughter back?"

"Of course I do! But I don't want to loose you either. Piper, I don't think you grasp the whole concept yet. McGunther is a rapist and he wants you. McGunther wants to rape you."

"Right now, I don't care. I just want Laurie back."

The steely determination of her voice was beginning to scare him. He placed his hands gently on her arms and made her look at him. "Piper, I'm not letting you do this. I love you too much to loose you. I promise I will find a way to get out daughter back." Leo hugged her close.

Piper hugged him back, but didn't respond to his promise. She was going to meet McGunther and get Laurie back, regardless of what any one told her.

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Piper and Leo both slept in the living room so they could be near the phone and recording stuff incase McGunther called again. Well, Leo slept. Piper, on the other hand, stared at the glowing red numbers of the digital clock.

When three o'clock rolled around, Piper silently got up from the couch and went to the kitchen table where her purse and car keys were sitting. She grabbed them and slowly headed towards the front door. She hadn't turned on any lights in case they woke Leo, but in return she could see where she was going. She had to keep one hand on the cool wall to prevent herself from running into anything.

She screamed in terror when her hand passed over warm flesh instead of cool wall.

"You didn't think I was going to let you do that, did you?" Leo asked.

"Leo! What are you doing? I thought you were asleep!"

"I knew you were going to try this, so I pretended I was asleep."

"How did you know?"

"Because I know you."

They stood there for a moment. "Are you going to let me by?" Piper asked.

"Nope. Piper, you are not doing this."

"Yes, I am. Now get out of my way." She tried to push him out of the way, but her one hundred and ten pound frame was no match for his one hundred and ninety, muscular body.

"No, you're not."

"Leo, I am going to get my daughter back! Now get out of my way!" She tried to push her way forward, but Leo held her back. "Let go of me!"

"I don't think so," he said and he picked her up. He carried her to the couch as she pounded on his shoulder continuously.

"Let me go!" He did as she commanded and dropped her on to the couch.

"You are going to sit down and listen to me," he told her, fed up with his games. "You are going nowhere. You are going to let the police do they're job and get Laurie back. I won't have you risking your life when they can get her back with out harm."

"Leo, I'm not going to sit here and wait for the police to follow leads and _hopefully_ find Laurie. I'm going to find her myself."

"You're not going to be any use to her if your dead."

Piper didn't answer. She just looked at the floor.

"Because that's what he'll do. He'll have his way with you and kill you, just like all the others. He doesn't care about giving Laurie back to you! He probably wouldn't even take you to her."

"Leo, maybe you don't understand me when I say I am going to find my daughter," Piper said, her voice low and serious.

"She's my daughter too, Piper. I want to find her just as much as you do."

Piper stood up. "Then why won't you let me do this?"

"Because I am not going to lose you too."

Piper ignored his words. "Laurie is the most important thing in my life. If I have to give my life for hers, I will." She began walking towards the door.

"Piper…" he called after her, but she didn't stop. "You're not the only one feeling guilt over her being taken. You promised her the bad man wouldn't hurt her, but I swore to protect you both. It was my job to protect her. I failed at that. I am not going to fail again and let you die."

Piper had acted like she hadn't heard a word he said until those last few words. She spun around to face him, her eyes ablaze with anger and sorrow. "I was your job to protect her! Then why aren't you doing anything about it? Why are just standing there, waiting to let that guy kill her?" She stopped her rant and grabbed her stomach in pain. She doubled over and fell to the floor, moaning.

"Piper!" he cried and went to her side on the floor. "What is it?"

Piper just moaned in response. Leo lifted her up and placed her on the couch. He felt her forehead and realized she was burning up. He went to the kitchen and got some ice. He gently placed it on her forehead. "Piper, honey. What's wrong?" Leo looked closely at her for the first time and realized her eyes looked glassy.

Leo was scared. What was wrong with Piper?

The phone rang and Leo scrambled to answer it, not bothering to set the recording equipment.

"Leo?" Morris's voice said from over the phone.

"Yeah? Did you find her?"

"Not yet, but we have a lead. I'm on my way over," he said and hung up before Leo could say anything else.

Leo knelt by Piper on the couch. "Piper," he whispered, smoothing her hair out of the way. "They have a lead on Laurie. Darryl's on his way over."

Piper's eyes seemed to look better, less glassy. Her skin was still warm and papery. But she seemed to be aware again and she was trying to sit up.

"Whoa. Not so fast. You are not going anywhere."

"Leo, I'm fine," Piper protested in a weak voice.

"Oh, really? Then what was that a few minutes ago?"

"I don't know," she admitted. She tried to sit up, but was over come by a wave of dizziness. "I think I'm going to lay down."

"Good idea. I have no clue what's wrong with you, but it can't be good."

There was a knock at the door, followed by a voice. "Leo, it's me."

"Come in Darryl."

Darryl stepped into the house and came into the living room where Piper was lying on the couch. He took one look at her and asked, "What the hell happened to you? You look like shit."

"Thanks, Darryl. It's nice to see you too."

"I didn't mean it like that. I guess no one looks good under these circumstances."

"Darryl," Leo interrupted, "Do you have any leads?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. The audio people at he lab separated the recording into tracks. On one of the tracks, you can hear distinct train whistles."

"So?" Piper asked.

"Combined with the relative location they got from the call and looking at property he owns, we've been able to pinpoint it to one possible place. He owns a storage facility not far from a pair of train tracks just South of Bellwood. We have a swat team going in there as we speak."

Piper sat up. "Darryl, be honest with me. Do you think she's there?" she asked hopefully.

"I really do."

"Thank god," Piper said with a sigh of relief. Leo sat down next to her and held her hand. "When will we find out if they found her?"

"Any minute now. A tactical team will call me the minute they get any information."

The next forty-five minutes were excruciating. All Piper could think about was her daughter and how scared she must be.

Leo thought he was going into shock. He just found out he had a daughter and his daughter was now missing. And Piper. She didn't look well. She seemed to be doing better since they received the news about Laurie, but she still didn't look well. Her eyes were still cloudy and she felt warm to the touch. But Leo didn't say anything about her condition. The main thing was getting Laurie back safe and sound, and Leo knew that is what Piper's condition depended on.

The seconds seemed to tick by. Finally, Darryl's cell phone let out a high-pitched ring.

Piper and Leo stared anxiously at him as he talked on the phone. From their side of the conversation, they couldn't tell if the news he was receiving bad or good.

"Thank you, Bristow," he said and hung up.

He slowly turned to face them. The suspense was killing Piper. With tears in her eyes, she asked, "Did they find her?"

The few seconds it took Darryl to smile seemed to be the longest of her life. "They found her. She was alone in a warehouse. She's being taken to St. Mary's Medical Center."

Piper's elation over discovering her daughter was alive quickly dissipated. "Why are they taking her to a hospital? Isn't she alright?" Piper's anxiety was so apparent in her voice that Leo made her sit down on the couch.

"She's fine. She's being taken to the hospital just as a precaution."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course. Leo will drive you over there."

Piper jumped up and hugged Leo. "They found her!" she exclaimed.

Leo tightly hugged her back. He shared her elation over finding Laurie. "Let's go see her."

"Just be careful," warned Darryl. "McGunther's still at large."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Piper walked quickly down the halls of the hospital, turning wherever the signs pointed her to the children's ward. Once she was in the hallway of Laurie's room, Piper picked up pace until she was practically at a run.

Then Piper saw her. A nurse was holding her hand and leading her down the hallway. "Laurie!" Piper cried and ran to her daughter.

Laurie looked up and saw her. "Mommy!" she cried and broke free of the nurse's hand. She sprinted down the hallway until she was in her mother's arms.

Piper dropped to her knees and hugged her daughter tightly. Piper couldn't believe she was back in her arms. "Oh, Laurie," she said with tears flowing down her face. "I thought I lost you." She kissed the top of her forehead.

"I was so scared, Mommy," Laurie said in between sobs.

"I know, Sunshine, I know."

Piper held Laurie for a few more moments, thankful to have her back. She felt Leo behind her and knew it was time. She wiped her eyes and looked at Laurie.

"Laurie, there's someone I want you to meet." She moved out of the way so Laurie could get a clear view of Leo. "You're Daddy."

Leo bent down to Laurie's level. The tears in his eyes were apparent. "Hi, Laurie."

Laurie threw her arms around Leo's neck.

Laurie didn't have to say anything. That response said enough. Leo hugged Laurie tight, finally seeing her as his daughter. "I love you, Laurie."

"I love you too, Daddy."


	11. Physical Pain

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**Chapter 11: Physical Pain**

Piper and Leo sat in Laurie's room, holding her hand. Doctors had run tests on her and said she was fine. She was being kept overnight just as a precaution.

They tried to get her to talk about the kidnapping, but all she would sat is, "the bad man took me."

"I'm so sorry, Sunshine," Piper said to her. She felt guilty because she promised Laurie the bad man wouldn't hurt her.

Laurie eventually fell asleep and Piper's stomach gave a rumble of hunger.

"Come on. Let's go down to the cafeteria and get us something to eat," Leo suggested.

"I don't want to leave her," Piper said.

"She's asleep. She won't even know we're gone. Besides, you can't go hungry."

"Okay," she said. She took one last look at Laurie before leaving the room.

Leo held Piper's hand as they walked down the hallway. "Do you have pictures of Laurie when she was a baby?"

"Of course."

"Can I see them?"

A huge smile lit up Piper's face. "Of course you can."

Now it was Leo's turn to smile. "I would really like that."

They continued walking down the hallway and Leo draped his arm around Piper's shoulder. Piper slipped her arm around his waist, bringing them closer.

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going stay now? We can't go back to the house; McGunther knows where it is. Laurie and I don't feel safe in the manor anymore. We don't have anywhere else to stay."

"That's easy. You guys will stay at my apartment. As you probably remember, it has an extra room that Laurie can use."

"Are you sure you want us living with you?"

"Piper, we've lived together for the last three months. You and I lived together for a year and a half before."

"Thanks, Leo."

"I love you, Piper."

"I love you too."

They walked down the hallway in blissful silence. They were almost to the elevator when Piper felt the same pain she had experienced the night before. She put her hand to her stomach and leaned against Leo for support.

"Piper, what is it?" He looked down at her and could see her pained expression.

The pain was too intense for her to speak. All she could do was gasp for breath. The pain in her stomach rose a notch and she withered in pain. Finally, it all went black.

"Piper!" Leo cried. He gently laid her to the floor. Piper threw up and Leo placed her on her side. "Piper, wake up!" He tried to shake her wake, but she was unconscious.

"Help!" he cried. "Someone help!"

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The doctors wouldn't tell him anything. He sat in Laurie's room, trying to calm her down.

"Daddy, is Mommy going to be alright?"

As much as it thrilled him to hear her call him 'Daddy,' Leo didn't want her to ask any more questions. He didn't like the answers he had.

After debating whether to lie to her or tell her the truth, Leo decided on the truth. "Mommy is very sick, but the doctors are going to make her all better. I don't want you to worry about anything. Everything's going to be fine."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

When Piper awoke, she was lying in a hospital bed. She groggily looked around, trying to get a bearing on her surroundings. The first thing she saw was Leo standing over her.

"Leo? Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital. You kind of passed out on me."

Now that Piper's vision had cleared, she could see Leo had been crying. "Sorry," she said, her voice muffled due to a dry throat. "What happened?"

"We were walking down the hallway when you started having pain in your stomach and passed out. You threw up and almost choked."

"What's wrong with me?"

"The doctors said you were low on most of your vitamins. He said that combined with the stress you've been through in the last few days could have caused what happened. They are giv9ng you vitamins through the IV and took some blood to run tests on."

Piper leaned her head back on the pillow. Leo realized how tired she looked. "Piper, how do you feel?"

"I've been better. But not too bad."

"Good, because I know some one who wants to see you."

Laurie walked into the room. "Hi, Mommy!"

"Hello, Sunshine."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"When are we going home?"

Piper looked at Leo. "The doctors said both of you can leave tomorrow."

"Are we going back to the house with the bad man?" Laurie asked, fear in her voice.

"Nope. We are going to stay with Daddy."

"Really?" Laurie asked with excitement.

"Really," Piper said with a laugh.

"Yeah!" Laurie exclaimed and threw her arms around Leo's neck. "We're a family!"

Piper watched Laurie hug her father. Piper couldn't have wished for a better reaction out of Laurie. Laurie seemed to accept Leo as her father, no questions asked.

"Yes. Just like a family."


	12. Coming Home

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**Chapter 12: Coming Home**

Piper and Laurie were both released from the hospital the next day. Leo took them to his apartment where Darryl already had officers pack up Piper and Laurie's things from the house and bring them to the apartment.

Leo and Piper had set up the extra bedroom for Laurie, but it was useless. Laurie usually ended up in bed with Piper and Leo. He really couldn't blame her. If he had been kidnapped and kept only God knows where, he would be afraid to be alone too.

Piper stood outside Laurie's bedroom, watching her daughter sleep. In the faint moonlight, Laurie looked peaceful. Leo came behind Piper and hugged her from behind. She leaned into him, not taking her eyes off of Laurie.

"She's beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, she is."

Leo drew her away from Laurie's room and to the living room where they were looking at pictures of Laurie when she was younger. They went over hundreds of pictures, and with each one Leo felt as if he missed out on something major. And then he realized he had. He missed three years of his daughter's life.

And Piper's. He wasn't there for her when she needed him the most. That tore him up, but he vowed to be there for her forever.

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Scott McGunther was fuming. Someone had taken the Halliwell kid while he was waiting to meet Piper. Stupid bitch had never shown. The cops must have somehow found the storage place he was holding her. Damn them.

McGunther wanted Piper more than ever. But now it didn't matter if she were alive or dead. Instead of desiring the feel of her skin, he desired the feel of her blood. Instead of longing to watch her undress, he longed to watch the blood slowly soak out of her body.

He had a plan for Piper Halliwell. The simple thought of watching the blood flow from her body excited him.

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Leo sat at his desk, staring at the framed picture of Laurie that Piper had given him the previous night. He couldn't get enough of looking at Laurie. It was as if he was trying to make up for three years of absence.

One of the female officers, a blonde named Candy, walked past his desk. "Welcome back, Leo," she greeted him.

"Thanks," he said, barely glancing up from the picture.

"Who is that a picture of?" she asked, indicating the picture.

"My daughter." He just couldn't get enough of saying 'my daughter.'

"I didn't know you had a daughter!" she exclaimed and walked away.

"Neither did I," he said to her retreating form.

He looked away form the picture and to the file sitting in front of him. Scott McGunther, still at large. The thought of that man made his blood boil. He spent hours on the file, calling people, asking questions, but discovered no new leads.

At five o'clock, Leo did something he had never done before.

He left work on time.

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Leo was at work and Laurie had gone shopping with Prue. Piper had planned on going with, but she wasn't feeling well. Her stomach was a bit queasy and she didn't want it to escalate to anything like it had before.

She was just about to fall asleep on the couch when the telephone rang. She picked it up and answered with a sleepy hello.

"Hello? Is this Miss Halliwell?"

"This is she," she replied.

"Miss Halliwell, this is Doctor Sabler from the Saint Mary Medical Center. I treated you last week after you passed out."

"Oh, yes. I remember."

"Well, I called to tell you I got the results back from your blood work."

Piper didn't like the sound that. If nothing was wrong, why did he call, sounding so serious? Tons of thoughts ran through her head. Did she have some weird tropical disease? Did she have some fatal tumor?

All the scenarios she ran though her head did not prepare for his answer. "Miss Halliwell, you're pregnant."

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**Author's Note: Ta Da! I hope you were surprised! The next chapter is going to explain a lot about Laurie and her birth, but there is a surprise ending I bet none of you see coming! Sorry for the short chapter. But a lot of the chapter was Leo thinking about Laurie and dealing with the fact her has a daughter now.**


	13. Outside the Soctor's office

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**Chapter 13: Outside the Doctor's Office**

Piper splashed the cool water over her face. As the water slowly dripped down her face, she looked at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. She didn't look like the same person. Her skin was pale and her eyes were bloodshot. She leaned against the wall across from the mirror and slid down to the floor. There she sat, wondering what she was going to do.

She heard the front door open and close. "Piper?" she heard Leo call.

"In here," she called back. She could hear Leo walking towards the bathroom.

"Piper?" he asked softly. "What are you doing in here?"

"Nothing," she said in a monotone voice with her hands covering her face.

Leo bent down and removed Piper's hands from her face. "Piper, what is it?"

"Nothing," she said in the same voice. He looked into her eyes, but all he saw was an empty, haunted look.

Leo tried another approach. "Where's Laurie?"

"With my sister."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah. Fine."

Okay, so it wasn't Laurie. What could it be? "Piper, I know something's wrong. Talk to me." He held her hands to let her know he was there for her.

"I'm" she cleared her voice but didn't speak anymore.

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant."

Leo fell from his squatting position onto the floor, leaning against the cabinets. "What?" he squeaked. He was still holding Piper's hands.

She withdrew her hands. She once again covered her face. Leo didn't go to her. He sat in a stupor, letting his mind wonder over the possibility. Pregnant. Piper was pregnant. He was going to be a father. Again. He just learned Laurie was his child. That was enough to take in. But this? This was… he didn't know.

Leo could hear Piper softly crying. He pulled himself out of his self-pitying stupor and went to her. How could he be so selfish? Piper was the one dealing with the majority of this.

He went to her and put his arms around her. She leaned on him and cried. "It's okay. Everything's going to be fine." He gently wiped away her tears.

"No, it's not," she said, struggling to sit up. "Leo, after I had Laurie the doctor told me it wasn't safe to have anymore kids. If I were to get pregnant, there is a chance the baby wouldn't make it past four months."

"What happed?" Leo asked, his heart constricting. Did something happen to Piper and Laurie when she was born?

Piper closed her eyes, vividly recalling that day. "I went into labor and Prue drove me to the hospital. Up until that point, I hadn't had a problem during my pregnancy. But I started bleeding heavily and to this day I still don't know why."

Leo could see she was struggling to hold back tears, so he tightened his grip on her hand.

"That wasn't the worst of it. The umbilical cord had gotten wrapped around Laurie's throat. She wasn't breathing when she came out. The last thing I remember hearing before I passed out was 'the baby's not breathing'."

"But Laurie's fine now. There's nothing wrong."

"I know, but that's not the point. The point is something could go wrong again, only worse. The doctor told me that's probably what my stomach pain has been from." She let out a sob before saying, "I don't know what to do."

Leo held her close. "It's okay. We'll make it through. Together." But inside, he was terrified. Something must be terribly wrong so early in the pregnancy if she was pain like that.

Piper was somewhat reassured by his use of the pronoun 'we'. It implied he was here to stay.

They sat on the bathroom floor for the next few minutes, not talking, just thinking. After a few minutes Leo said, "This is a nice floor an all, but my legs are falling asleep."

Piper laughed and sat up. "I was going to take a bath anyway."

"Good idea," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Leo! You're not serious!"

"Of course I am."

Later on, once the bubbles were up to her shoulders and she was leaning against Leo, his hands on her stomach, she said, "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow with the obstetrician that delivered Laurie."

Leo, who was kissing her shoulders, said, "I'm going with you."

"Leo, you don't have to. Besides, don't you have work?"

"Piper, I know I don't have to go. I want to go. Besides, I have about eleven weeks of vacation time saved up."

"You still don't have to go."

"I'm going, and that's final," he said, kissing her to stop any further protests.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Piper, Leo, and Laurie walked into the obstetrician's office. Laurie played with some toys while Piper and Leo waited anxiously in chairs, holding hands.

"Everything's going to be fine," he told her, kissing her hand.

_Now if only the doctor would say that_, Piper thought.

"Miss Halliwell?" a nurse called. "The doctor will see you now."

Piper, Leo, and Laurie followed the nurse down the hallway and to an examination room. Laurie once again sat on the floor, playing with her toys, while Piper and Leo waited for the doctor.

He came in soon after. The first thing he did was greet Piper. "Well, you are looking good."

"Thank you, Doctor Mason."

He bent down towards Laurie. "And this is Laurie, I presume." Laurie didn't say anything. "I remember the day you were born." Laurie once again didn't reply so he turned back towards Piper. "Quite an eventful day if I remember correctly."

"You could say that."

"Alright. Well, the first thing I want to do is an ultrasound. Would you lie down, please?"

Piper laid down and Leo held her hand. The doctor put cold jelly on her stomach and then began the ultrasound.

"Well, everything looks good," he said. "You can see the outline of the baby," the doctor said, tracing it with his finger.

Leo couldn't believe he was looking at his child. It was nothing more than different colored lines, but he could begin to see a form as the doctor pointed it out. He couldn't believe that was his child.

"Do you want to know the sex?"

"Sure," Piper replied.

"Don't quote me on this, but I'm going to guess it's a boy."

Leo couldn't quite grasp it. A son. He was going to have a son. He squeezed Piper's hand and she looked up at him, a huge smile on her face.

The doctor finished his exam after checking the fetal heart rate. "It's a tad low, but nothing to be alarmed about," he told them when he saw the worried expressions on their faces.

"I know I don't have to remind you of the complications you might have during this pregnancy, but if you relax and take it easy, things should go somewhat smoothly."

Her appointment was soon over and they headed out of the door. The sky was gray and overcast, but the sun was trying to shine through the clouds.

Leo had one arm around Piper's waist and held Laurie's hand with his other hand. They were almost to the car when Leo heard the gunshot. The crowd of people outside screamed and began running.

Police instinct kicked in. He dropped to the ground, making sure Piper and Laurie were safely lying on ground. He got into a crouching position, withdrawing his weapon he carried on him at all times since Laurie had been abducted.

He slowly got up and looked around the street, weapon up and ready to shoot. He saw no one suspicious on the street, but that didn't mean the shooter hadn't shot through a window of one of the many shops on the street. It would have been impossible to tell where the gunman was in the chaos of the crowd.

Leo, not seeing a suspect in sight, lowered his weapon. As he did, he noticed his shirt covered in blood. He felt around his body, wondering if he was wounded. He felt no wounds, so he turned back to Piper and Leo.

Laurie was still lying on the ground covering her head. Piper was still on the ground. It wasn't until he looked at the sidewalk that he figured out what happened.

Red blood was slowly seeping down the sidewalk, filling in every little crease and crack until it seemed like a never ending red puddle.

It was coming from Piper.


	14. No News

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**Chapter 14: No News**

Leo had never known pain like this before. The pain he felt when Laurie was kidnapped came nowhere near this. When Laurie had been kidnapped, there had been a chance she would be found and rescued. With Piper, there was a minimal chance she and the baby would survive.

Leo laid his head in his hands. He completely ignored Darryl, who was asking him questions.

"Leo," Darryl said sharply and Leo looked up at him.

"What?" he asked, his voice heavy with all the grief he was feeling. Was this how Piper felt when the police were hounding her when she thought her daughter might die?

"Just go through what happened with me once, and I promise not to push it anymore. You know the protocol. I have to get a statement."

"I know," Leo said softly. He closed his eyes, the shooting coming back to him in bits and pieces. "We came out of doctor's office. I was holding Laurie's hand with my left and had my right around Piper. I heard a gunshot and made sure Laurie and Piper were safely on the ground. I never checked to see if either of them were hurt." Tears were now streaming down his face. "I should have checked on her. But I didn't."

"You did what you could."

"I took out my gun and looked for the shooter, but I didn't see anyone. I don't even know where it came from. Could have been someone on the street, could have been someone from a window of one of the surrounding buildings. I looked down and saw my shirt covered in blood. At first, I thought I had been hit. But I felt fine and could find any wounds. Then I looked down at Piper…" More tear streamed down his face. "…and you know the rest."

"Thank you, Leo," Darryl said, scribbling notes in his small, leather-bound notebook. "I have just a couple more questions. Where is the doctor's office located?"

"On Harrison, just before you reach 61st."

"What is the doctor's name?"

"I think it was Mason. Yes, Doctor Mason."

"What kind of doctor is he?"

"An obstetrician," Leo whispered.

Darryl looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Piper's pregnant," Leo said softly.

"Oh, god, Leo." Darryl seemed to be at a loss for words. He didn't know if he should congratulate the man or console him. "Is"

Leo shrugged his shoulders. "They don't know of either will make it."

Darryl squeezed his shoulder. "Is there anyone I can call?"

Leo shook his head. "Prue already picked up Laurie and took her back to the manor. Phoebe's flying in from New York…just in case."

"I meant is there anyone I can call for _you_?"

Leo thought about it for a moment. "Piper and Laurie are my only family. They're the ones I need to be with now."

Darryl nodded his head. "Alright. But do you want to change your shirt?"

Leo looked down at his shirt, still stained with blood. One of the nurses had given him a scrub top to change into, but he felt that if he took off the shirt he was giving up on Piper. "I don't know…"

"Leo, change your shirt. When they fix up Piper and let you see her, they're not going to let you wear that shirt," he said, trying to reinforce the positive idea that Piper would survive.

Leo slowly nodded his head. "I guess you're right." He stood up and headed to the bathroom.

Darryl decided to remain behind and wait for him. He didn't like the way Leo was acting. It was almost as if he were in a comatose state. Darryl knew Leo's mental condition was less than stable. He wouldn't have been surprised or scared if Leo suddenly started running up and down the hallway, screaming. What did scare him was Leo's eerie silence and calmness. Sure, he had cried, but it was nowhere near the breakdown Darryl was expecting.

Leo was going to snap; it was only a matter of time.

Leo tightly grasped the sides of the sink. His vision was blurry due to the tears he was trying to hold back. But he couldn't any longer. He slid to the floor, letting the tears flow freely.

Piper was probably in that room, dying, right now, and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it. The only thing he could think of revenge was to get the killer. _No, gunman,_ Leo reminded himself. _Piper isn't dead yet_.

McGunther had to be the gunman. It was just too much of a coincidence for the shooter to be any one else.

Leo stood up and splashed water on his face. He watched his reflected as the tiny beads of water slowly dripped down his face, one by one, falling into the sink.

He was going to catch McGunther if it was the last thing he did.

With that though firmly planted in his head and a plan beginning to formulate, Leo changed out of his blood-stained shirt and into the green scrub top.

He walked out of the bathroom and straight to Darryl. Before Darryl could open his mouth to say a word, Leo said, "Darryl, I need a copy of all McGunther's files, access to hospital computers, and a reporter from one of the big television stations."

Darryl just stared at him. "Are you insane?"

"No, actually, I'm serious. I have a plan to catch McGunther and I know it will work. Please, help me."

Darryl slowly nodded his head. "Alright, but if this gets me fired, your ass is mine."

Leo smiled with relief. "Thanks, Darryl. You're a true friend."

Leo looked to the nurse's station and caught one of the nurse's eyes. He looked at her, as if asking if there was any news on Piper. She shook her head and turned back to her work.

Leo turned to look at the door to the OR. _I'm going to catch him, Piper. I promise you I will get him._


	15. Leo's Plan in Action

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**Chapter 15: Leo's Plan in Action**

Leo finished talking to the reporter and walked over to where Prue and Phoebe stood with Laurie.

"Glad you could make it," Leo said to Phoebe.

"Leo, what is this about?" Prue asked, shifting hading Laurie to him. Laurie put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. He gently rubbed her back.

"Where's Piper?" Phoebe asked immediately after.

"Piper is alive. She is out of surgery and is in ICU. She hasn't regained consciousness and isn't allowed visitors right now. But I need your help."

"With what?"

"To catch McGunther."

"What!" Prue exclaimed as if it was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard.

"How?" Phoebe asked more calmly, ready to help.

"Phoebe, I need you to take Laurie home and keep her safe. An officer will be watching the manor."

Phoebe nodded her head. "Okay."

"What about me?" Prue asked.

Leo took a deep breath. "What I need you to do is more dangerous. I need you to pretend to be Piper."

"What?" Prue asked in confusion.

"I talked to the reporter and they are going to issue a broadcast about Piper and the situation with McGunther. They are going to say she is alive and is being treated at San Francisco Memorial. I'm hoping this will draw him out of hiding and to the hospital. I've rigged the computer hospitals to say Piper is in a different room than she really is. That should keep her safe enough. We think McGunther is an experience computer hacker because that is the only way he could have found Piper at the manor and later when she was in protective custody. He must have figured out a way to hack into the police files. If he can do that, he sure as hell can break into the hospital computers."

Prue was still looking at him. "So why do I have to pretend to be Piper?"

"Because we're going to put you in the fake room. McGunther will probably find a way in and try to kill you. Me and a couple of officers will be waiting for him and arrest him before he can do anything to you."

"So you want me to lie on a bed, pretending to be Piper and wait for some guy to come in and kill me?"

Leo was silent for a moment before answering. "Yeah, that's about it."

"Oh, joy," she said sarcastically.

"Let me do it," Phoebe said.

Both turned to her. "NO," Prue said.

"I know self defense. I can protect myself better than Prue can. Besides, Prue, Laurie knows you better than me. She'll be more comfortable around you. Please, I want to do this. I want to catch her shooter."

Leo looked at her. "That's a good idea. Since you already know self defense, it may be safe than using Prue."

"Phoebe, I am not going to let you do this," Prue protested.

"Well too bad. You don't have a choice."

Leo gave Laurie a hug and set her on the floor. He kneeled down to get a good look at her face. "Laurie, I want you to go with Aunt Prue. She's going to take you home, okay?"

Laurie shook her head. "I want to stay with Daddy."

"Laurie, do you remember the bad man?"

Laurie nodded her head, fear in her eyes.

"He's going to come to the hospital, and I want you to go home with Aunt Prue where you'll be safe."

"What about Mommy? Is he going to hurt Mommy?"

Leo hugged her close. "No, Sunshine. He's not going to hurt Mommy. I won't let him."

That seemed to calm Laurie some and she gave Leo a kiss on his cheek. "Bye-bye, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, Sunshine. Now you be good for Aunt Prue."

"Okay," she said as she took Prue's hand. Leo watched them until they were out of his sight.

"You're good with her," Phoebe said.

"Thanks," he said. "I just wish I knew sooner."

"Better late than never," Phoebe quirked. Then she thought of Piper and became all serious once more. "Come on, Leo. Let's go catch this bastard."

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"_Piper Halliwell, renowned owner of the night club P3, was admitted into San Francisco Memorial Hospital yesterday afternoon as a result of a gunshot wound. The shooter his believed to be Scott McGunther, who was accused of raping and murdering three women a few years ago, but avoided jail time due to a technicality. Piper Halliwell and her three-year-old daughter, Laurie, were witnesses to a murder committed by McGunther and were placed in police protection. How McGunther found out where they were being kept is a mystery, but once he did he kidnapped Laurie. Police were able to safely locate the girl a reunite her with her family._

"_But yesterday, as she was walking down Harrison Street, she was shot by whom police believe to be Scott McGunther. Piper Halliwell was taken to San Francisco Memorial where she is now alive, but in critical condition. But doctors are optimistic that she will pull through. _

"_Now, back to Dennis in the newsroom…"_

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McGunther snapped off the broadcast and threw the remote across the room. Damn it, the bitch had survived. Couldn't she just die and do everyone a favor?

He calmed himself. It was alright. He could just kill her in a more…personal way. He walked over to the chest on the floor and took out a scarf. He had used it to kill one of the women he had raped and killed. Morgan had fought until the end. And she was the one who almost got him caught. But not quite. He was still free, and he was going to kill Piper Halliwell.

He felt the silky material of the scarf in his hand. It calmed him and he walked over to his computer and turned it on.

_I hope you've said your goodbyes, Piper Halliwell_, he thought as he logged onto the hospital mainframe.


	16. Lying in Wait

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**Chapter 16: Lying in Wait**

The hospital room was silent except for the steady beep of the heart monitor. Leo hid behind the door, waiting for McGunther to come it. He had no clue how long it would be, but he was will to wait forever if he had to.

Phoebe, who they had put in lots of gauze and bandages on to disguise her as Piper, laid on the bed, breathing evenly to feign sleep.

He heard motion in the hallway, but it was only a doctor or nurse walking past.

He only had to wait a few more minutes before the door slowly creaked open. In the darkness it was impossible to tell if it was McGunther or not. Leo prepared to jump out at the person if they tried to hurt Phoebe.

The person loomed over Phoebe and Leo soundlessly stepped out from behind the door. The person reached in his pocket and withdrew something long and flexible, perhaps a piece of rope.

He was just about to tackle the person when Phoebe's hand shot out from bed and grabbed the man's arm and gave it a twist until it made a sickening cracking noise.

The man screamed in pain and Leo tried to get his arms behind his back, but the man kicked him and sent Leo crashing to the floor.

Pissed and determined, Leo went back to where Phoebe now had the man's arm safely behind his back. "What the" She gave it another little twist and Leo heard another crack.

"Phoebe, take it easy."

She gave it another little twist. "You don't mess with my sister and get away with it."

Leo didn't try to stop her as she gave his arm another twist.

But McGunther wasn't going to have any of it. He elbowed Phoebe in the face with his free arm and kicked Leo in the solar plexus. He then sprinted out of the room.

Leo, once he regained his breath, ran out of the room after McGunther. Phoebe, holding her bloody nose, took off after them.

Leo chased McGunther through the maze of hospital hallways. Leo was fast, probably faster than McGunther. But McGunther was running on adrenalin, on fear of getting caught. Therefore, he managed to stay just out of reach.

Leo pumped his legs faster and harder. McGunther was almost in his reach.

A nurse, pushing a cart, came out of a door in the hallway.

McGunther, turning his head to see how close Leo was, didn't see her.

He ran right into her cart and flipped over it. The nurse, surprised, gave a small scream of surprise.

Leo wasted no time. He pushed the cart out of the way and kneeled on his back. "Scoot McGunther," Leo said, slapping on the cuffs, "you are under arrest for breaking and entering, kidnapping, and attempted murder." Leo read him the rest of his Miranda rights.

Darryl, finally catching up, took McGunther off his hands.

"He's all yours, Darryl."

"Nice work, Leo. You too, Phoebe."

"Glad to help," she said, holding her nose. "Maybe I should become a cop."

McGunther growled at them. "I hope the bitch dies. I hope she and the baby die and rot in hell."

Leo went forward to punch McGunther, but Darryl handed the situation beautifully. He kicked his foot out and knocked McGunther off of his feet, face-flat on the floor.

"Oops. Not very coordinated are you, McGunther?"

Leo and Phoebe both gave a laugh.

They walked back down to ICU, where Darryl's squad car was waiting outside. Darryl took McGunther away and Phoebe went to go change out of her hospital gown and get her nose checked.

Meanwhile, Leo called Prue. After talking to her for a few moments, Laurie managed to wrestle the phone away from her aunt. Or maybe Prue gave it up willingly. Either way, Leo was just grateful to hear his daughter's voice.

"Daddy!" Laurie squealed excitedly.

"Hello, Sunshine."

"Is Mommy coming home yet?"

Leo hesitated, not wanting to tell Laurie the truth. Hell, he didn't even know for sure. "I don't know, Laurie. I don't know."

"Oh," was all she said, sounding dejected.

"Don't worry, Sunshine. Aunt Prue will bring you to the hospital soon so you can see her. Alright?"

"Okay. Bye, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, Sunshine."

Leo hung up and leaned against the wall, thinking of all that happened. They may have gotten McGunther, but now it depended on whether or not Piper and the baby made it through the night.

If Piper didn't make it, he would have no clue what to do. When he had dated her the first time, he hadn't realized how deep his love was for Piper. Deep enough to create a wonderful child like Laurie.

Laurie. What would she do with out her mother? Sure, she loved Leo dearly, but she hadn't been raised by him. She had Phoebe and Prue to help take care of her, but she was so close to her mom. Leo didn't know if Laurie would be able to take losing Piper.

"Leo!" an excited voice called. He looked up to see a nurse motioning to him.

"She's awake!"


	17. Attempted Escape

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**Chapter 17: Attempted Escape**

It took a few moments for the nurse's words to sink in. 'She" must mean Piper. Piper. Awake. Awake. Piper.

Finally, the nurse's words hit home. Piper was awake! He began sprinting down the hallway, passing the nurse. He didn't stop until he was outside of Piper's room.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst. He opened the door and slowly walked in. Piper was lying on the bed, deathly pale with an oxygen tube in her nose and her eyes were closed. Leo thought she was asleep so he began to leave the room when her weak voice called out, "Leo?"

Leo went to her bed, tears in his eyes. "Piper. Thank god you're okay."

She nodded her head and swallowed, but didn't say anything.

"We caught him."

"Who?" she asked. "What happened to me?"

At first Leo panicked, thinking she had amnesia. But then he realized she had been unconscious for the last twenty-four hours, so she probably didn't remember anything. "We were coming out of the doctor's office and McGunther shot you. The bullet when through your left shoulder and tore up the surrounding tissue. You had a collapsed lung, but they were able to reinflate it. Lucky, the bullet missed your heart. But we caught McGunther. Just a few minutes ago, actually."

"The baby…?"

"He's fine. Both of you are." Leo smiled and the tears of joy streamed down his face. He slipped his hand into her and gave it a small squeeze.

"Laurie…?"

"She's with Prue and the manor. She's perfectly fine. A little scared for you, but fine."

Piper nodded her head and closed her eyes. "Phoebe flew in from New York to see you. I'll go get her."

He stood up, but Piper held on to his hand. "Please don't go."

"Okay," he said and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

And there he stayed until both of them were fast asleep.

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Leo didn't wake up until he felt Darryl gently shaking him. Leo opened his groggy eyes and looked at him. "What?"

"Sorry to wake you. I just thought you should know that McGunther is dead."

All the sleepiness left Leo. "What? How?"

"He tried to escape custody when we got to the police station. He hit an officer and was shot as he was trying to escape."

"Who shot him?"

"I did."

Leo nodded at him. "Are you okay?"

"Strangely, yes. When I shot him, all I could think was of how many people were safe now. How are you holding up?"

"We're fine," he said, holding Piper's hand.

"The baby?"

"Going to make it if she takes it easy."

"Good. You two deserve this kid."

"Thanks, Darryl."

"No problem. Take care of her."

"I will. Don't worry about that."

Darryl patted Leo on the back and left. When Darryl was out of the door, Leo turned back to Piper, who was peacefully sleeping. He laid his head on her uninjured shoulder and put one hand on her stomach. Piper was alive and so was their baby. Every thing was going to be fine.

Piper opened her eyes and gently squeezed his hand. "Hey," she said, her voice stronger than it had been the day before.

"Hey. Feeling any better?"

"A little. Where's Laurie?"

"Prue's going to bring her by later."

Piper smiled at him. "You're a really good father, you know that?"

Leo smiled back. "Thanks." He was silent before adding, "You really had me scared, Piper."

"I had me scared too." She shifted positions on the bed, making room for Leo. He carefully sat on the bed, careful not to disturb Piper's injured shoulder. She leaned against him. "I'm glad we met again, Leo. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"We belong together, Piper."

"Yeah, we do. You, me, Laurie, and Christopher."

"Christopher?"

Piper nodded her head, placing a hand on her stomach. "He needs a name, doesn't he?"

"Christopher. I like it."

"I'm glad you do."

"You know this means we should get married."

"I know."

"Would you like that?" Leo asked, somewhat nervously.

"I'd love it," Piper said, smiling.

"Love what?" Prue asked, coming into the room followed by Phoebe and Laurie.

"Mommy!" Laurie cried, running to the bed. Leo helped Laurie up and she hugged her mother tightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Sunshine."

"When are you coming home?"

"Soon. I'll be home soon." She gently rubbed Laurie's back, glad to hold her daughter once again.

Piper looked around at the smiling faces around her. Prue and Phoebe, her closer-than-close sisters, Leo, her soul mate, and Laurie and Christopher, her two darling children. Her family was right here with her, just as it should be.

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**Author's Note: I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. You guys totally rock! There is only one more chapter left, an epilogue. I'm going to thank everyone personally at the end of the next chapter. Thanks again for all of your great reviews. **


	18. Epilogue

**I would just like to say thank you to all my reviewers! You guys rock. Next, I would like to say you all knew Leo was Laurie's dad, so good detective work!**

**For some reason, FanFic won't let me access a couple pages of my reviews. I hope I got everyone! If I didn't, I'm truly sorry!**

**Heather1021- I'm glad your so happy Piper woke up.**

**PiperFairy- I'd like to kick McGunther's a too! **

**HollyShadow: I love your story! I hope you update soon! See you on the boards. Piper/Leo fans should read 'Since then, Till now'**

**Magical Princess – I like your reviews. Short, yet sweet. **

**Piperleo4eva- I'm glad my story kept you entertained.**

**foureverCharmed- You are very good at guessing what will happen**

**DramaQn621- Thanks for all your wonderful reviews.**

**Kk241289- I love all your stories! I hope you keep updating them! I recommend that everyone reads her stories!**

**Mandi Halliwell- I know you think I'm cruel for almost killing Piper, but I promise, I'm not that mean! lol**

**Psychokitty3- Your so energetic, it's catching! That's a good thing!**

**Piperlover/Leo- I'm glad you liked the mystery of the story.**

**Livingwyatt: I love 'Losing as Sister'! It is so good!**

**Perty in Pink- I'm happy you're happy they found Laurie.**

**Ms. Piper Halliwell- I agree with you. I hate Scott Mc-something too!**

**Syad yniar aka Nikkie Carebear: Your new story sounds interesting. I hope you post another chapter soon!**

**Chub-'Life without you' is an excellent story! Keep continuing it!**

**KC-Piper-fan- Thank you for bein so excited about updates.**

**Hmdd-pileo-forever- I'm happy you like Piper/Leo fics so much.**

**LeoPiper-Forever- I'm glad you liked it so much**

**Lola-PiperLeo – I'm gald you were so happy they caught McGunther.**

**AsherSmasher- Thank you! I will continue writing. I have a couple more stories in process and 'College Days' is still going.**

**To my anonymous readers: Thank you so much!**

**Nikkie**

**Cheese**

**SK**

**Sarah**

**Nicky**

**Amanda**

**Samantha**

**Frankie**

**Anonymous!**

**You guys are awesome!**

**So here it is (drumroll….) the last chapter to Witness:**

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**Chapter 18: Epilogue **

Leo held the now four-year-old Laurie up so she could see the tiny infant lying in the crib.

"That's my little brother? Are you sure?"

"Yep. That's Christopher." He set Laurie on the floor and made sure Chris was securely covered with the green blanket. "Time for bed," he said to Laurie.

"Please, Daddy, can I stay up with you and Mommy? _Please_?"

"Nope. Mommy and I are going to bed and so are you."

Laurie hopped into her bed and Leo tucked her in. "Daddy, is Mommy really all better?"

"She's fine now, Sunshine. Why don't you go to sleep?"

"Okay. Goodnight, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead and turned off the light before walking out of the room.

He went to his bedroom where Piper was sitting up in bed. She had just come home from the hospital earlier that day. The doctors had kept her a week after Chris's birth for observation. The doctor recommended she take it easy for the next week or two.

"Are they asleep?" she asked.

"Yep," he said, stretching out beside her on the bed.

Piper laid against him, sharing body warmth. "It's good to be back home."

"I'm glad you are. You had us scared for a while."

"Sorry about that. I promise not try to again."

Chris started crying.

Both Piper and Leo got up and walked to his crib. Piper picked him up and gently began rubbing his back to sooth him.

Laurie came in the room. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He just needs his diaper changed."

"Can I help?"

"Sure."

It was a little messy letting Laurie help, but it got the job done. Piper laid Chris back in his crib and picked Laurie up. Leo wrapped his arms around the two of them and all three watched as tiny Chris slept.

This was their family, just as it should be.

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**Author's Note: One last thanks to all of you guys, I really appreciate it! I'll have more stories up soon!**


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